When I Stopped Needing Him
I once believed Adrian DeLuca was the most dependable man in a dangerous world.
We had been engaged for years. Before family dinners, major investments, or decisions that could affect the balance between powerful families, I usually asked for his opinion. I believed that was what two people building a life together were supposed to do. I believed he would always stand beside me.
Eventually, Adrian grew tired of being needed.
He wanted me to trust my own judgment, stop asking about his schedule, and stop bringing every concern to him.
At the same time, he gave his patience and protection to Mia Caruso, a newly graduated intern at the family hospital.
She wore his coat, used things that belong